The present invention relates to a novel process for separating and purifying proteases and antiproteases of blood clotting (and particularly thrombin (T) and antithrombin (AT)) as well as the thrombin-antithrombin complex T-AT.
The study and knowledge of the mechanisms of blood clotting nescessitates having available large amounts of thrombin and antithrombin in the pure state.
Applicants, who have acquired great experience in the preparation of polymers endowed with anticoagulant properties (cf. particularly the French patent 2 461 724 or ANN. BIOMED. ENG. 1979), have established laws of affinity between these polymers and certain proteins such as proteases and antiproteases of blood coagulation. It was an object to provide a process of separation and purification of proteases and of antiproteases (such as T and AT) which is simple, economical and of great reliability.